KNOXVILLE, TN — Texas State volleyball heads on the road to open the 2023 season at the Tennessee Classic. The Bobcats will face Marist College, Tennessee, and UT Martin in the opening weekend of the season in Knoxville, Tennessee.

MATCH INFO:
Texas State vs. Marist College
9:00 AM (CT) | Knoxville, TN
No TV stream
 
Texas State at Tennessee
6:30 PM | Knoxville, TN
Stream: SEC+ Network
 
Texas State vs. UT Martin
9:00 AM | Knoxville, TN
No TV stream
 
HISTORY:
The Bobcats have never faced Marist College, Tennessee or UT Martin in program history. This will be their first match against all three of the programs in the Tennessee Classic.
 
NOTES TO KNOW:
Preseason Polls: The Bobcats were selected to finish second place in the West Division in the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Poll. The Bobcats were selected third overall in the conference behind reigning league champions James Madison and South Alabama. The Bobcats received three first place votes.

Leave No Doubt: The Bobcats 2023 team mantra headed into the year is 'leave no doubt' which just is a reminder to leave it all on the court. After back-to-back second place finished and narrowly missed at-large bids, the Bobcats want people to know they belong in the postseason play and they'll make sure it's in their hands that they get there.

New Kids on the Block: Texas State welcomes seven new members to the squad for the 2023 season including four freshmen and three transfers.

• Graduate transfer KJ Johnson joins the Bobcats after two years at Baylor and two years at Fairfield. In her two seasons at Fairfield, she was a two-time All American and two-time MAAC Player of the Year 
• Newcomer Carlee Pharris joined the Bobcats in the Spring of 2023 after redshirting her freshman season at TCU.
• Sophie Childs joins the Bobcats after transferring from Wichita State in Spring of 2023. The 6'3 outside hitter played in 36 matches over her three seasons with Wichita State, one of which was an abbreviated season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Bobcats welcome four freshmen: Ally Adair, Brooke Bentke, Zenai Jethroe and Lana Tello.
  • Lana Tello is the younger sister of Texas State volleyball alumni Kayla Tello, who graduated in spring of 2023.

 Last Season Rewind: The Bobcats finished the 2022 season first place in the West Division with a 24-7 record, going 14-2 in conference play. The team made an appearance in the Sun Belt Conference Championship game, losing to James Madison 3-1 and narrowly missing on an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. 

Texas State lost five-time Setter of the Year and two-time Player of the Year, Emily DeWalt, as well as five-time All-Sun Belt player and two-time Offensive Player of the Year Janell Fitzgerald. Additionally, two-time All-Sun Belt Players Jada Gardner and Lauren Teske finished their time with the program. 

Returning to the Mix: The Bobcats are returning one starter from the 2022 season, libero Jackie Lee. Lee started 19 matches and played 70 sets paired with 255 digs, 61 assists and 16 service aces.

Also returning are senior Megan Woods, junior Alyssa Ortega and sophomores Maggie Walsh, Bailey Hanner and Jade Defraeye. Walsh and Ortega made big impacts off the bench for the Bobcats in the 2022 season. Both played in more than 25 matches seeing 60+ sets apiece in the 2022 season. The pair and Lee spearhead the Bobcats returners this season.

Meet the Staff: Head Coach Sean Huiet and Associate Head Coach Keith Anderson return to lead the staff with some new help. Huiet starts his fourth season at the helm of the program after serving as an assistant coach for 15 seasons prior. He enters the season with a 75-28 all-time record. 
Former graduate assistant Charli Fouts was promoted to assistant coach in the spring of 2023 and will stay for her first season in her new role, third overall on the staff.
 
Also joining the mix as an assistant coach is former Conference-USA stand-out Carly Graham. The three-time C-USA Player of the Year and All-American joins the Bobcats staff for her first season.
 
Rounding out the staff is Director of Operations Peejay Brun and graduate assistant Hope Hodges. Brun is in her 10^thseason working at Texas State, but first on Huiet's staff. The Hawaii native spent nine seasons with softball head coach Ricci Woodard as an assistant coach, a role she will do in tandem with volleyball operations this season.
 
UP NEXT

• Texas State will return home for the Texas State Invitational where they'll host #19 Houston and North Texas. The Bobcats home opener will be Aug. 31 versus North Texas at 6:30 PM inside Strahan Arena. The Bobcats will see #19 Houston on Sept. 2 at 3 PM.

FOLLOW US

• For the latest information on the team, follow @TexasStateVball on Twitter, @TxStateVolleyball on Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can also be at @TxStateBobcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.